An Unexpected Delivery
by Marbear 66
Summary: Based on spoilers that one of the housewives is pregnant. What if Susan was pregnant? Would she tell Mike? And could they become a "happy little family"
1. Startling News

A/N: Hey all! I know I just posted a story, but people seemed to like it, so...:) This is a story I've been working on since I heard the spoilers that one of the housewives might be pregnant. I just thought it would be interesting if it was Susan. I'm a hopeless Susan/Mike fanatic. LOL, hope you don't get sick of me!

* * *

Susan stared in shock at the object in front of her. How could something so small have such a huge meaning? But there it was, right in front of her: a pink plus sign. She was pregnant…pregnant with Mike's baby.

"No," Susan laughed aloud to herself. "These things are always wrong, I'll just take another one, and it will probably be negative, and everything will be fine." Susan took not one, but 3 more pregnancy tests, all of them revealing a pink plus sign. Near hysterics, Susan dropped onto the side of the bathtub and stared at the four identical sticks in front of her.

"Mom! I'm home!" came a shout from the front door. Julie was home. Panicking, Susan gathered up the pregnancy tests and stuffed them under the bathroom sink, then went out to greet her daughter, trying to appear as calm as possible.

"Hi, sweetie," she said, smiling. "How was your weekend with your dad?"

"It was great, Mom, we went camping!"

"Very cool," Susan replied distractedly.

"Can you help me get my stuff out of Dad's car? I kind of have a lot," Julie asked, heading back outside. Susan nodded and followed her daughter out to Karl's car, where he was removing bags from the trunk.

"Hello, Susan," he greeted.

"Karl," Susan replied shortly. She was in no mood to endure an argument with her ex-husband, so she thought it wise to say as little as possible. She reached out to take the bag Karl was offering her, but it slipped right through her hand when she saw Mike come out of his house across the street. She saw him looking at her, and grew nervous as he headed toward her house. Panicking, she grabbed the bag from the ground, turned around, and all but ran back into her house. She closed the front door and peered through the window as she watched Mike stop halfway to her house, shake his head, and turn back around.

"Mom?" Julie called from outside. "Are you going to let me in?" Susan laughed, reopened the door, and took the bag her daughter was holding. She absentmindedly waved to Karl as he drove away, then pulled Julie into the living room. "What is it, Mom?"

"I have something really important to tell you," Susan began nervously.

"Ok, what is it?" Julie asked, looking at Susan. Suddenly Susan couldn't tell Julie. Deep down she still hoped there was the possibility that the tests were wrong. Susan didn't want to say anything until she knew for sure. She sighed, then realized Julie was still waiting for her to reveal her important news. She wracked her brain for something to tell her daughter.

"Um, my illustrations got picked up for another book," she said weakly, hoping it didn't sound to fake.

"That's great, Mom!" Julie said, giving her a hug. "Your drawings are the best."

"Thanks, hon. Well, you probably want to call your friends or something, so I'll see about getting us some dinner."

"Ok, I'll be upstairs," Julie replied, grabbing her bags and heading to her room. Once she was sure her daughter was inside her room, Susan went into the kitchen and picked up her phone.

"Hello? Dr. Morganstern? I think I need to set up an appointment with you…" she began, biting her lip.

* * *

Susan sat nervously on the hard plastic chair in the examining room and waited for the doctor to come back with her test results. Her gut told her that she was pregnant, but she was holding on the hope that she wasn't. She took a deep breath as the doorknob turned and Dr. Morganstern came in carrying a clipboard.

"Well, Susan, it appears that the four pregnancy tests you took were correct," she said, smiling. "Congratulations, you're pregnant." Susan felt tears start to well up in her eyes, but she blinked them back and swallowed hard.

"Thank you, Dr. Morganstern. I just had to be sure," she murmured, staring at the wall.

"Yes, I understand that," Dr. Morganstern replied. "Do you have any questions?"

"No, I've done this before," Susan laughed. "I've just never done it alone," she thought to herself.

"Well, if you don't have any concerns, you need to go the front desk and get an appointment for your 4-week progress check-up."

"Ok, I'll do that. Thank you," Susan sighed. After she went to the desk and made her appointment, Susan went out to her car and just sat in her front seat for 15 minutes. Pregnant. As badly as she felt about it, Susan really had not wanted it to be true. Had things gone differently with Mike, she would have been ecstatic. As her thoughts drifted to Mike, Susan knew she had to tell him. Convicted killer or not, he was the father of this baby and he deserved to know. Taking a deep breath, Susan decided to call him and get it over with. She pulled out her cell phone and dialed the number she still knew so well and waited for him to pick up.

"Hey, this is Mike-"

"Mike!" Susan began, but was cut off.

"I'm not here right now, but if you leave a message, I'll get back to you as soon as I can. Thanks, bye." Susan sighed. His answering machine. She didn't want to tell him in a message, but she needed him to call her back.

"Hi, Mike…it's Susan. Um, I know you weren't expecting to hear from me, but um…there's something I need to tell you. I-"

"Susan!" Mike's voice came over the other line, breathless. "Susan, are you still there?"

"Uh, yeah. I thought you weren't home," Susan replied, stalling for time.

"I just got in the door and heard you leaving the message. What is it you wanted to tell me?" Susan thought she detected a hint of hope in Mike's voice. She sighed.

"Yeah, um, it's kind of important, and I don't want to tell you over the phone. Could you meet me somewhere?"

"Sure, anywhere. Name the place."

"Can you meet me at Starbuck's at 2:00?" Susan asked.

"Absolutely. I'll see you there," Mike replied. Susan actually smiled to herself.

"Ok, Mike, thanks. See you soon," she said, then hung up. She took a deep breath and started the car. She wanted to go home an lie down for a little while before she would have to face Mike. Mike, who was the father of her baby, an accused killer, and the man she still loved.

_TBC...

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_

Hope you like it! -Marbear 66

**_Boone_**


	2. Telling Mike and Julie

Susan arrived at Starbuck's early, she wanted time to prepare herself before Mike came. She took deep breaths and rehearsed her speech over and over again in her head, and was so distracted she didn't notice when Mike approached her table and slid into the seat opposite her.

"Susan?" he chuckled as he waved his hand in front of her face. "Everything ok?"

"Mike!" Susan exclaimed, startling him. "You're here," she laughed nervously.

"Yeah, I said I would be." Mike replied. He noticed something was missing. "Where's your coffee?" Susan blushed. In her nervousness over calling Mike, she accidentally set their meeting place at a place where she couldn't drink any of the beverages. No coffee…that would take some getting used to again.

"Oh, yeah, I didn't want any today," she stuttered, already becoming nervous.

"Ok, well, what did you want to talk about? I mean, you've been going out of your way to avoid me lately, so…yeah." Mike finished, glancing down.

"Well, I know, but this is something you need to know."

"Ok, I'm listening."

"Um, there really isn't any easy way to say this, so I'm just going to say it," Susan said, sighing. Then she lost her courage and just sat there for a few moments, trying to find the words.

"Yes?" Mike chuckled. He had missed Susan's inability to say things. In general, he just missed Susan.

"I'm pregnant," Susan finally blurted out, turning red. She waited nervously for Mike's reaction, but he just sat there.

"You're what?" he murmured softly.

"I'm pregnant." Mike still said nothing. "Please don't make me say it again."

"No, I heard you," he breathed again. "That was so not what I was expecting you to say."

"What were you expecting me to say? That I wanted to get back together?" Susan asked skeptically. This was not going well at all. She hadn't expected Mike to freak out. After all, hadn't he said he'd always wanted kids? The situation wasn't ideal for either one of them, but it was there, and they had to deal with it.

"No, that was my hope," Mike replied softly, looking into her eyes. "Honestly, I had not idea what to expect, but it certainly wasn't that."

"Well, whether you like it or not, Mike, it's true. You're the father, so I had to tell you."

"I never said I didn't like it, Susan. I'm just in shock. It's great news, really, it's just not as great as it could be," he replied, looking down again. "I don't like the way things are between us."

"Yes, well, it's a situation of your own making, Mike. You could have told me the truth, but you chose not to. Now, I'm not going to keep your from your child's life, no matter what your past is. But that's as far as our relationship goes."

"Come on, Susan. Isn't it time to sort things out now, Susan. We're having a child together. I love you," Mike said, trying to convince her.

"Don't," Susan said softly, afraid the tears would come. "I can't handle that right now. I'm going to leave."

"Are you going to let me be involved in the pregnancy at all?" Mike asked, his eyes pleading.

"I have an appointment with the OBGYN in about a week. You can come if you want. I told you I won't keep you from this, and I meant it."

"Ok, I'll be there," Mike replied. Susan smiled wanly and left, while Mike remained. "I'll be there," he thought to himself. "And I'll prove to you that I'll always be there."

* * *

When Susan got home, Julie was waiting for her, and Susan was in no mood for the questions Julie was bombarding her with.

"Mom? Dr. Morganstern called a few minutes ago, she said you forgot your jacket at the clinic," Julie said, eyeing her mother suspiciously.

"Did I? I didn't realize," Susan replied, trying to dodge the question.

"Were you planning on telling me you going to an OBGYN?"

"Yes."

"Really, when?" Julie persisted, sitting on the couch.

"Now, I guess," Susan murmured. "I'm pregnant."

"Pregnant? Since when?"

"Um, about three weeks ago, I guess. Right before…" Susan trailed off.

"Right before the break-up," Julie finished for her, now looking at her sympathetically. "Have you told Mike yet?"

"Yeah, I just did a little while ago, actually."

"And how did he take it?" "As well as he could, I guess. He actually started saying that this was a reason for us to work things out now," Susan muttered as she recalled Mike's reaction.

"Well, don't hate me for saying this, but…shouldn't you?" Julie asked, frowning.

"What? No, we shouldn't. I will not be in a relationship with a man who lied to me." Even Susan realized how doubtful she sounded.

"Come on, Mom, you love him."

"That doesn't matter anymore."

"Yes it does! Mike loves you, Mom. I know he did something horrible, but…think about it. Maybe he really didn't do it. He's been trying to explain things for weeks. You won't let him."

"What reason do I have to believe anything he says?" Susan sighed, putting her head in her hands.

"Because you _love_ him. That should be reason enough," Julie replied quickly, then sighed when her mother didn't respond. "Fine, do what you want. I'm happy for you, I really am. I just wish you could be happy. I'm going to order us a pizza." Julie was going to head into the kitchen, but Susan stopped her.

"It's not as if I'm not going to let him be in this baby's life," she said softly, staring at the floor.

"He wants more than that, and you know it. He wants you, Mom," Julie replied, then went off to order the pizza. Susan sighed again and rested her head on the back of the couch, Julie's last words still ringing in her ears. _"He wants you, Mom."_ She just didn't know what to do.

* * *

_TBC..._


	3. Flirtacious Doctor, Jealous Susan

A/N: Haha, I am so the only person on here writing Desperate Housewives fics. LOL Oh well, as long as you guys are having fun with it, then so am I.

* * *

The week flew by, and soon Mike and Susan were in Dr. Morganstern's office, Susan lying on a bed as the doctor checked out her stomach, and Mike sitting next to her. Susan felt a touch of anger when she noticed Dr. Morganstern glance appreciatively at Mike.

"So is this the father?" she asked, smiling at Mike.

"He is," Susan said shortly. She did not like the looks the doctor was giving Mike at all.

"Well, you've got a handsome one," she said. "Your baby would be lucky to get his looks." Susan was becoming increasingly annoyed.

"As long as it doesn't get his morals," she said bitterly, and Mike's head snapped up in surprise. "He likes to lie a lot."

"Susan, not now," Mike growled warningly. Susan stayed quiet, and Dr. Morganstern looked uncomfortable.

"Well," she said, clearing her throat. "Everything appears to be normal, I'm just going to run these tests, I'll be back in a few minutes." The doctor quickly left the room to escape the mounting tension.

"What the hell is your problem?" Mike hissed, glaring at Susan. "Was that necessary?"

"She was hitting on you!" Susan hissed back, turning red.

"She was not."

"Oh, really. Let me see, Mike. 'You've got a handsome one,'" she mocked. "Oh, and 'Your baby would be lucky to get his looks?' Please."

"Jealous, much?" Mike said, smirking.

"I am not jealous," Susan said rather unconvincingly. "I just don't think it's appropriate for the doctor to be openly admiring the father of one of her patients' babies. So wipe that smirk of your face," she finished, smirking herself.

"If you say so," he chuckled, nudging her side.

"I say so," Susan murmured, growing nervous as Mike leaned closer.

"Susan," he whispered. She pulled away as he was leaning in to kiss her.

"Mike," she said softly. "Don't." Mike sighed and pulled away just as the doctor was coming back in. Susan glanced at him, but he was glaring at the floor.

"Well, everything is fine," Dr. Morganstern said brightly. "You don't need to be back here for another four weeks, unless you feel something isn't right. Just make an appointment at the front desk before you leave," she finished, smiling at both of them. When she left the room again, Susan and Mike glanced at each other.

"You should go wait outside while I change," Susan suggested, sitting up. Mike sighed, but tried to lighten the mood again.

"Come on, Susan, it's nothing I haven't seen before," he joked.

"Mike, please," she sighed. He glanced at her, hurt, before he walked out the door.

"I'll be in the car," he threw over his shoulder. Susan got dressed quickly, then went out to make her appointment. When she got into Mike's car, she could tell he was angry. He didn't say one word to her as he pulled out of the parking lot and headed home.

"Listen, Mike," she said, laying her hand on his arm, but he jerked it away and glared at the road.

"Did you make your appointment?" he asked instead, still not looking at her.

"Yeah, it's on the 24th," Susan said, shaking her head.

"Good, I'll be there," he replied.

"Mike, we need to talk," Susan persisted. They had reached Susan's house, and he pulled into her driveway.

"What, like you didn't say enough back at the clinic?" he snapped, sitting back in his seat. "Actually, you said very little, but your actions spoke louder than any words could," he finished. Susan growled to herself, and grabbed his chin with her hand, forcing him to look at her.

"We need to talk, you stubborn ass," she said again. "Inside, now." Susan got out of the car and went around to Mike's side, waiting for him to get out. He sighed and climbed out, following Susan into her house. Once they were inside, Mike sat down on the couch and sighed.

"Susan," he started, but she cut him off.

"I told you I couldn't do this," Susan said quietly. "You cannot try to kiss me like nothing happened, you just can't."

"I'm not trying to pretend that nothing happened," Mike protested. "I just refuse to believe that it's over between us."

"It has to be," she replied.

"Why?"

"Because you kept things from me. Karl kept things from me, and I can't do that again."

"If you would just let me explain everything…" Mike trailed off, and Susan finally looked into his eyes. There was pain there, mirroring her own, and something inside of her softened.

"Ok," she said softly, surprising herself. She was not a surprised as Mike was.

"What?" he asked incredulously.

"Tell me what happened. I promise I'll listen." Mike took a deep breath and looked down, then started talking after a moment. He talked for over 15 minutes, explaining everything to her. He told her why he came to Wisteria Lane, his investigations into Deirdre's death, even about his wife. When he was done, he sat there quietly, waiting for her reaction. "Is that everything?" Susan asked, taking his hand.

"Yes, though I can't promise there aren't more secrets from my past. But my offer still stands. Ask me anything you want," he replied. Susan bit her lip, thinking.

"Are you really a plumber?"

"Yes," he replied easily.

"Have you found anything out about Deirdre?"

"Not a lot," he sighed. "But I'm getting closer." Susan paused before asking her next question.

"What do you think of me?" Mike smiled at the familiar question she had asked him once before. He decided to give her the same response as before and leaned in and kissed her swiftly. When he pulled away, Susan's eyes were closed.

"I love you," he finally replied. "I never lied about that, I promise." Susan smiled as she looked into Mike's eyes, then leaned in and kissed him again. It was meant to be a gentle kiss, but it quickly became more passionate as Mike pressed her against the back of the couch and started kissing her neck. Susan sighed softly and he stood up and lifted her off the couch. She wrapped her legs around his waist and pulled away briefly, smiling at Mike. He smiled back, then kissed her again, and walked up the familiar stairs to her bedroom.

_TBC...

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_

**_Boone_**


	4. Forgetting Three Very Important People

A/N: Thanks for the feedback, guys, I love it. I am now taking suggestions for baby names, since it's never too early to start. Boy or girl, let me know what you guys think!

* * *

"You regret it," Mike said softly, watching Susan as they lay in her bed together. She had been staring at the ceiling silently for the past 15 minutes. Susan sighed and turned to Mike, running her fingers over his jaw line and kissing him softly.

"I don't," she said firmly. "I'm just thinking. I knew if we talked, if I let you explain things to me, you'd find a way to work yourself back into my heart," she sighed, smiling, though there was conflict in her eyes.

"And that scares you?" Mike asked, kissing her jaw.

"Considering the damage you could do, yes, it does scare me, a lot. And it isn't just me anymore. We're having a baby, Mike."

"I know. I promise you I won't hurt you again," he replied, and watched as she sighed again. "And if it's any consolation, you'll always have my heart," he finished sincerely.

"Aww," Susan cooed. "You're sweet." Mike chuckled and pulled her to him again, kissing her passionately. "Mm, and charming…handsome…sexy…" she continued between kisses.

"Stop, you're making me blush," Mike joked, kissing her neck and shoulders. Susan was about to pull him on top of her when she heard the door open downstairs.

"Mom! I'm home!" Julie called. "How was the doctor's appointment?" Susan groaned, and Mike buried his face in her neck.

"I guess our alone time is over," he murmured, holding her close.

"Unfortunately," she agreed, sitting up and starting to pull on her clothes. "I'd better go down there and explain things to her," she said.

"Ok," Mike replied, kissing her quickly and turning to get dressed.

"Mom, are you home?" Julie called again.

"Coming!" Susan said, giving one last longing look at Mike, who winked at her. She grinned and headed downstairs, a bounce in her step.

"Wow, you're happy," Julie observed, smiling. "Everything go well at the doctor's?"

"Everything was fine," Susan replied, smiling also.

"And you and Mike didn't kill each other?"

"No, and speaking of Mike," Susan began, but stopped when she heard Mike coming down the stairs. Julie's jaw dropped when she saw him.

"You most definitely didn't kill him," she joked, grinning devilishly.

"No," Susan murmured, her face turning red. Mike turned red as well.

"Um, hi, Julie," he muttered, looking down.

"Hi, Mike!" Julie squealed, winking at her mother. Mike turned a darker shade of red, as did Susan. "Oh, you two are like kids, it's fine, really! I'm just glad you worked things out."

"You're sure?" Susan asked, glancing at Mike, who was smiling sheepishly.

"I'm sure. I'll be upstairs, ok?"

"Fine. Chinese good for dinner?"

"Perfect." Julie went upstairs to her room, and Mike approached Susan, putting his arm around her. She glared at him and playfully hit him in the chest.

"You could've given me a couple of minutes to explain things to her," she laughed as she headed into the kitchen. "How long did you wait, about 30 seconds?"

"No, more like a minute!" Mike replied, following her, laughing as well.

* * *

Later on that day, Mike had to get ready for an appointment, and Susan had her weekly poker game with the girls. Susan walked Mike out to his car, teasing him the whole way. 

"I still can't believe you're going to drive across the street to your house," she laughed. "Why don't you just leave the car here and grab your stuff, then come get it?"

"Because I'm lazy," Mike deadpanned. "It's just easier this way." He squeezed her hand and climbed into the car. When he went to wave to her, he saw her frowning. "What is it?" he asked, rolling down his window.

"You forgot something," Susan replied, smiling.

"What?"

"Kiss." Mike rolled his eyes and grinned sheepishly, then leaned out the window to kiss Susan goodbye. When he pulled away he winked at her, backed down the driveway, and drove the 30 feet to his own driveway. As he was headed into his house to grab his tools, he heard Susan call to him.

"Yes?" he laughed as he shouted back to her.

"Will I see you later?" Susan called from her porch.

"You'll see me later," he replied, then went inside. Across the street, Susan grinned happily, then went into her kitchen to grab her bag before heading to Bree's house. She didn't even need to knock on Bree's door before it was opened and she was hauled inside by three pairs of arms. Confused, she looked at her three friends, all of them grinning.

"What's going on, guys?" Susan asked as she headed into the kitchen.

"Oh, don't be coy, Susan," Bree said, sitting opposite her. "We saw that little interaction with Mike a few minutes ago."

"You were watching us?" Susan asked, shocked.

"Yes, and we couldn't help but notice that Mike's car was in your driveway for an awfully long time," Gabby continued for Bree, nudging Susan.

"Come on, Suse, dish," Lynette said. Susan then realized she had neglected to tell her three best friends that she was pregnant. She looked at them and smiled.

"Well, there's something I need to tell you," she said carefully.

"What is it? Don't leave us hanging," Bree said, leaning closer.

"I'm pregnant." Bree, Lynette, and Gabby all sat there silently for a few moments, then at the exact same time all started shouting.

"You're what!" Bree exclaimed.

"Oh my God! That's great!" Lynette said.

"Is Mike the father?" Gabby asked, grinning. Susan rolled her eyes.

"No, Gabby, the postman is," she deadpanned. "I just told Mike he was the father for fun. Of course he's the father."

"Well, when did this happen?" Bree asked, confused.

"About 4 weeks ago, just before we broke up," Susan explained.

"And so you got back together with Mike!" Bree squealed, understanding. Susan smiled.

"Yeah, I did. I wasn't going to, but I finally let him explain things, one thing led to another, and, well…" she trailed off, looking down at the table, embarrassed.

"Ah, I get it," Lynette said, winking. "This calls for a celebration! Bree, break out the wine!" Susan looked at her friend incredulously, and Lynette turned red. "Oops, I forgot. Ok, not the wine, break out the juice!" Bree laughed and poured cranberry juice into four wine glasses, the poker game forgotten. The four girls just sat around the table, discussing Susan's baby. Susan was thrilled with her friends' reactions, and was finally beginning to be excited about having another baby.

* * *

"They tried to give you wine?" Mike asked as he stood at the stove, cooking dinner while Susan sat at the table. 

"No, Lynette just got excited and forgot, I guess," Susan replied, sipping her water. "I'll tell you one thing, though," she continued, making a face. "I wish I could have some wine…or coffee." Mike chuckled.

"Well, you can't," he said, draining the pasta.

"Mean."

"I know, I'm horrible. I feel bad that this kid is going to have me for a father," he joked, smirking. Susan laughed along with him for a moment, then looked at him seriously.

"You're going to make a great dad, Mike," she said softly.

"Thanks," he replied, kissing her softly.

"Is dinner done yet?" Susan asked as Mike started kissing her neck.

"In a minute," he murmured. Susan sighed as he showered attention upon her throat, lips, and earlobes, but her stomach was growling loudly.

"Mike," she whispered breathily. "Baby, I'm hungry." Mike abruptly stopped kissing her and made a face.

"I should be offended," he muttered as he got up and went to fill Susan's plate with spaghetti.

"No, honey, don't be offended. Trust me, that is something you should never doubt your ability in. But this is how pregnant women are…they get hungry. You should be nice and feed the mother of your child," Susan explained, grinning.

"Yeah, yeah," Mike chuckled, handing her food, which she immediately began to devour. "And that is definitely killing the mood anyway." Susan glared at him, swallowed, then smiled devilishly.

"Be a good boy and eat your dinner, and then you'll get dessert," she said, winking. Mike blushed and rolled his eyes, then grinned back at her.

"Suddenly I'm very hungry," he said, picking up his fork and laughing.

_TBC..._

_

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**Boone**_


	5. The Joys of the First Trimester

A/N: I'm working steadily on this, though I've hit a bit of writer's block. I absolutely love the feedback, though, keep it coming!

**Botan and Kurama lover: **Thanks for the ideas! Glad you liked the Lynette line!

* * *

A week later, Susan woke up in the middle of the night with a familiar but unwelcome feeling. Without wasting any time, she jumped out of bed and ran to the bathroom, reaching the toilet just in time. After she finished emptying the contents of her stomach into the toilet, she closed the lid and rested her head on it.

"Ah yes, morning sickness," she murmured to herself weakly. "Not my favorite part of being pregnant." She took a few breaths, then felt another wave coming up. She hurriedly lifted the lid again and threw up what seemed like nothing but water. "Julie!" she shouted, laying down on the floor. She soon heard the footsteps of her daughter, and lifted her head as she opened the door.

"Mom, what happened?" she asked, kneeling beside her. "Are you ok?"

"I'm fine, sweetie, just one of the joys of the first trimester of pregnancy," Susan replied softly. "I think I'm going to be here a while, so can you do me a favor and go grab a pillow and blanket? I don't think I can walk right now."

"Sure, hang on, I'll be right back. Are you sure you're ok?"

"Completely sure, Julie. It's normal, trust me. But go, the floor's hard," she said, motioning her daughter out the door. Before Julie got the pillow and blanket, she picked up the phone in her mom's room and dialed Mike's number.

"Hello?" a groggy Mike answered after a few rings.

"Hi, Mike? It's Julie," Julie replied, sitting on the bed.

"Julie?" Mike said more clearly, suddenly very awake. "It's 3:00 in the morning, is everything ok? Is your mom alright?"

"She's fine, I think."

"You think!"

"No, she's fine, but apparently her morning sickness has begun, and she basically can't get up from the bathroom floor. I just thought maybe you'd-"

"I'll be right over," Mike said instantly, already getting dressed. "Stay with your mom until I get there, ok?"

"Ok, I'll leave the door unlocked for you," Julie replied, grabbing her mom's stuff.

"Thanks, I'll be right there."

"Julie!" Susan called weakly.

"Coming, Mom!" Julie called back. "Bye, Mike."

"Bye." After she hung up the phone, she ran downstairs to unlock the front door, then ran back up to the bathroom with the pillow and blanket. Gently lifting her mother's head, she placed the pillow beneath it, then covered her with the blanket and sat on the toilet. "So how are you feeling?" she asked, smiling.

"Like I threw up my stomach," Susan moaned, closing her eyes. "I so never planned on doing this again, and if you're wise, you won't ever plan on doing it."

"Aw, don't you want grandchildren, Mom?" Julie teased.

"No, I do, I'm just giving you fair warning."

"Thanks, I'll take that into consideration."

"Ok, just make sure you find a good man," Susan said softly, sinking further into her pillow.

"Yes, and most importantly, remember: it's always the man's fault," came Mike's amused voice from where he was leaning against the doorway.

"Damn straight," Susan agreed sleepily, then sat up quickly. "Mike? What are you doing here?"

"Julie called me," Mike explained. "She thought I'd want to be here for this momentous occasion." He sat down on the floor next to her and took her hand, kissing it gently.

"You called him? That was so sweet," Susan said, smiling at her daughter.

"I knew you'd want him here," Julie explained. "Plus I have school tomorrow, and I need to sleep, but I didn't want you in here by yourself."

"Aw, thanks, sweetie. You should get some rest. I'll see you in the morning."

"Ok, Mom. Goodnight, I love you."

"I love you too, hon," Susan replied. Julie looked at Mike with a stern face.

"Take care of her," she joked.

"Always," he said. After Julie went back to her room, Mike stood up and grabbed a washcloth from the bathroom closet. Wetting it under the sink, he sat back down, lifted Susan so her head was in his lap, and placed the cloth on her forehead.

"Thanks for coming," Susan whispered, taking his hand.

"I wanted to," he replied sincerely. "I don't want to miss anything."

"You're sweet," she sighed, enjoying the feeling of his fingers running through her hair. "So how did you get so good at this?"

"I don't know, it's coming pretty easily to me."

"A true sign of a good father."

"Good to know," Mike chuckled. "I know we have a lot of this ahead of us."

"Unfortunately," Susan agreed, then made a face and sat up quickly. "Hold that thought," she said before she bent over the toilet once again. Mike held her hair and rubbed her back soothingly as she threw up. When she was done, he pulled her back against his chest and she closed her eyes, miserable. "I hate this," she moaned.

"I know," Mike replied. "Come on, I'll carry you back to bed." He went to lift her, but she stopped him.

"No, that's not a good idea," she said. "I doubt I'm done. I spent many a night sleeping next to the toilet when I was pregnant with Julie."

"Then I'm just going to have to sleep in here with you," Mike decided, settling down on the floor.

"Oh, no, honey, you can lay in my room if you want to," Susan protested.

"Nah, I'm not going to leave you, so come on, lie down," he said. Susan smiled and lay down next to Mike, resting her head on his chest. He grabbed her blanket and draped it over the both of them, then wrapped his arms around her and dropped a kiss on her head.

"I love you," Susan sighed contentedly.

"I love you, too," he replied, closing his eyes.

* * *

Over the next week or so, Susan grew re-accustomed to her morning sickness, and Mike stopped sleeping in his own house, instead choosing to stay by Susan's side as she emptied her stomach into the toilet each night. One particular Friday morning, Susan was still not feeling too well after the night before, so she was still in bed when Karl came to pick Julie up for the weekend.

"Mom! Dad's here!" Julie called up the steps, and Susan sat up quickly from where she and Mike had been laying in bed, watching TV.

"Oh my God, I completely forgot he was taking her this weekend," she said.

"Relax, take your time," Mike said calmly, getting up.

"Mike, I have to get my stuff," Julie said, appearing in the doorway. "Can you answer the door?"

"Sure," he replied.

"I don't think that's the best idea," Susan protested.

"Why?" he asked curiously.

"I still haven't told him we're back together...or that I'm pregnant," she admitted.

"I wasn't aware you had to tell him."

"Well, no, but part of me really wanted to rub this in his face," she continued, turning red. Mike threw his head back and laughed, genuinely amused.

"That's really mature," he joked. "Why don't you just take your time, I'll answer the door, he'll figure out on his own that we're back together, and then you can come down and tell him the rest?" he suggested.

"I like the way you think. It's a plan. Go ahead and flaunt us, baby," Susan replied, laughing. Mike grinned and headed downstairs, then pulled open the door, revealinga smirkingKarl. The smug look on his face disappeared when he recognized Mike.

"You're the plumber, right?" he asked in a condescending tone. Mike controlled his urge to punch him in the face, and instead opened the door wider so he could enter.

"Yeah, Mike Delfino, we've met before."

"Susan didn't tell me you were back together," Karl said suspiciously.

"Yep, we are," Mike replied nonchalantly, but inwardly smiling. He turned when he heard both Julie and Susan coming down the stairs.

"There you are," Karl said to Susan. "Why didn't you tell me you were back with this guy?"

"This guy's name is Mike, Karl, and I wasn't aware I had to tell you," Susan sneered, borrowing Mike's words from before, which made Mike smile.

"I just didn't know. Hey, kiddo!" Karl brightened when he saw Julie.

"Hey, Dad. I'm going to put my stuff in the car, ok?" Julie replied, wanting to avoid the scene that was about to occur.

"Sure, I'll be right out. So what took you so long coming down, Susan?" Karl asked, trying to sound conversational.

"Oh, I wasn't feeling too well, I've been throwing up a lot lately," Susan replied, smiling at Mike, who winked.

"Oh man, that's no fun," Karl said.

"No, but that's to be expected with morning sickness." Susan and Mike awaited Karl's reaction.

"Morning-morning sickness!" he coughed, turning red. Susan pursed her lips and nodded curtly. Karl sputtered for a few more seconds, then continued. "You're pregnant?"

"I am."

"Since when?"

"6, 7 weeks ago?" Susan said, looking to Mike, who agreed.

"Yeah, I'd say that's about right." he said, barely hiding a smirk.

"Well then, congratulations to you both," Karl said forcefully. "I should go, Julie's waiting. See you Sunday," he threw over his shoulder as he strode out the door. Once they were sure he was gone, Susan and Mike simultaneously burst out laughing.

"Did you see the look on his face?" Susan asked, still laughing as she headed into the kitchen.

"That was great," Mike agreed, wiping his eyes and following her. "Can we tell your mother next?"

"Baby steps, Mike, baby steps."

_TBC...

* * *

_

**_Boone_**


	6. Sophie's Goof

A/N: You know what I would really like in my review box? James Denton...LOL

* * *

"Really? That's great, Grandma," Julie said into the phone as Susan stood by, mortified. "Ok, we'll see you soon. Bye," she finished, hanging up the phone. Susan turned to her daughter with a pained expression on her face.

"Why didn't I like the sound of that conversation?" she asked, glancing at Mike, who was leaning against the counter, smirking.

"Grandma's coming to visit," Julie explained. "She says she has some big news for you."

"What a coincidence, Susan. You have some news for her as well," Mike chuckled.

"You be quiet," Susan said, glaring at him. "She hasn't spoken to me since I refused to let her move in. Is it so horrible that I don't want to tell her I'm pregnant?" she asked, then turned to Mike again. "Don't say a word," she warned. He raised his hands in the air and shrugged, saying nothing.

"Well, you'd better figure out what you're going to tell her," Julie said. "Because she's only about 10 minutes away." Mike made a face and immediately walked to the front door.

"Where do you think you're going? I'm not telling her this alone," Susan said, following him.

"I'm going to move my car," he said, walking outside.

"Very funny."

"I'll be right back," he said over his shoulder.

"You'd better be!" Susan groaned, then turned back to Julie. "She's only 10 minutes away?"

"That's what she said, but with the way she drives, it's probably more like 3 minutes," she laughed. Susan began muttering to herself and pacing nervously. A few minutes later she heard a car pull up in front of her house, and Sophie Bremmer climbed out, waving to Susan.

"Hi, Suzie!" she called. Susan groaned again.

"Where is Mike?" she hissed, looking out at his house. "I'll kill him if he leaves me to do this alone."

"He'll come, Mom, relax," Julie suggested as she opened the door for her grandmother. "Grandma, hi!"

"Hi, Julie, sweetie. Hey, Suzie, give your mom a hug, because she's done something really fantastic for you," Sophie said, pulling Susan into her arms. Susan kept her eyes on Mike's house across the street, waiting for him to come out.

"Well, it's going to have to wait, Mom, because I have to tell you something," she sighed, pulling away.

"What is it, Susan?"

"Well, Mom, you see…" she began nervously, then lost her nerve. She breathed a sigh of relief when she heard Mike coming in through the front door.

"Sorry," he called. "Bongo needed to be let outside," he explained. Susan smiled gratefully and pulled him to stand next to her. Her mother's eyes widened.

"Mike? You're back with Mike? Why didn't you tell me?" she squealed, immediately pulling Mike into a hug.

"Because I had other things going on, Mom, I'm trying to tell you something here," Susan sighed, trying to recapture Sophie's attention.

"Ok, Susan, I'm listening, go ahead." Susan turned to Mike, who smiled softly and squeezed her hand. She smiled back nervously and took a deep breath.

"I'm pregnant," she blurted out.

"You're pregnant?" Sophie squealed, grinning. "That's fantastic, sweetie! Who's the father?" Susan, Mike, and Julie all looked at Sophie as if she had two heads.

"Mike is, Mom, try to stay with me here," Susan muttered, shaking her head.

"Well that is just great, Suzie, I'm really happy for you, and you as well, Mike."

"Thanks," Mike said smiling.

"So how far along are you?"

"About 8 weeks. We actually have my 8-week check-up tomorrow," Susan explained. Sophie frowned.

"You've known you were pregnant for weeks and you didn't tell me?" she asked, hurt.

"We weren't exactly on the best of terms, Mom. I planned on telling you ," Susan sighed.

"Well, it doesn't matter, this is still great news. You and Mike back together, and you're having a baby together, and oh dear…" Sophie trailed off, frowning.

"Why doesn't that sound good?"

"Well, remember when I said I had something to tell you?"

"Oh yeah, what was that?"

"Well, Suzie, sweetie, I sort of set up a date for you," Sophie revealed, looking nervous.

"You what!" Susan asked, upset. Even Julie looked angry, and Mike was turning red. "Mom, how could you do that? I told you several times I didn't want you setting me up with anyone!"

"I only did it because I love you, sweetheart, and this guy seemed so nice. I had no way of knowing you were back with Mike, or I wouldn't have done it."

"Thanks, Mom, this is just great. When am I supposed to go on this 'date?'"

"Tonight, at 7:00," Sophie admitted, cowering slightly. "He's coming here to pick you up."

"Unbelievable," Susan shouted, headingup the stairs. "When this guy comes tonight, you are going to tell him why I'm not going out with him." A moment later her door slammed, and Mike immediately jogged up the stairs after her. Sophie sat down at the kitchen table and put her head in her hands, while Julie too went up to check on her mother.

* * *

When 7:00 finally rolled around, Susan was still not speaking to her mother. The house was very tense as she, Sophie and Mike all sat in the living room, waiting for Susan's blind date to arrive. Sophie had suggested foolishly that Susan just have dinner with the man to humor him, but Mike had immediately and adamantly shot that idea down. Finally at 7:03 they heard a knock at the door. Sophie sighed and rose to answer the door, but Mike stopped her.

"Oh no, please allow me," he said, heading to the door. "I so rarely get to have fun." Susan smirked and turned to her mother.

"Yes, Mom, why don't you let Mike handle this, after all, it is his girlfriend this guy is here to take out," she agreed, and nodded at Mike. "Just don't hurt him, baby." Mike winked at her, then went to open the door. He immediately frowned at the man before him. He was dressed in a suit and tie, holding flowers, and smiling, but his smile faded slightly when he saw the look on Mike's face.

"Uh, hi. I'm here to pick up Susan Mayer? I'm Ben Genson." he said, smiling again.

"Mike Delfino," Mike said shortly, his glare darkening.

"Oh, are you Susan's brother?" Ben asked hopefully.

"Susan's boyfriend," Mike corrected, and Ben cowered before him. "I think there's been a misunderstanding here, Ben. Why don't you come inside and we'll sort it out," he continued, enjoying the fear on Ben's face too much.

"Um, no, that won't be necessary, Mr. Delfino, sir," Ben said, visibly shaking.

"No, I insist. I know that Sophie Bremmer would like to clear up this misunderstanding personally. I believe it was she who arranged this date for you?"

"Yes, it was, but-"

"Ok, then, come on in," Mike interrupted, and steered him into the living room. Susan smirked at Mike when she saw Ben cowering next to him, then stood up and smiled thinly.

"Hi, I'm Susan Mayer," she said. "I believe my mother said I'd go out with you tonight?"

"Um, yes. I'm Ben Genson," he replied.

"I'm so sorry about this, Ben," Sophie said, standing up as well. "I had no idea Susan had gotten back together with her ex-boyfriend. I'm afraid this whole situation is my fault," she explained, and Mike and Susan nodded their agreement.

"Right, I understand. I should probably go then," Ben suggested, inching towards the door.

"Yeah, you probably should," Mike said, glaring again. Susan nudged him, then pressed her face into his shoulder briefly to hide her smile. After a moment, the straightened and looked at Ben.

"I'm sorry about all this," she said.

"It's really no problem. It was nice meeting you anyway," Ben replied, then let himself out. Susan and Mike collectively sighed, then Susan turned to her mother.

"I didn't mean any harm," Sophie said. "I was just trying to help."

"I know you were, Mom. And there was no harm done, so it's alright," Susan replied.

"I would've liked to have harmed that guy," Mike said, frowning. Susan nudged him again.

"Behave," she said.

"Well, I should probably be going," Sophie sighed. "I think I've worn out my welcome."

"Yeah, that might be for the best, Mom. We do have to go to the doctor tomorrow. But I'll call you," Susan promised, walking her mother out to her car. A few minutes later Susan came back inside and collapsed next to Mike on the couch. He sighed wrapped his arm around her. "Would you really have beaten that poor guy up?" she asked, curling into his side.

"Hell yes," he muttered, and Susan laughed and kissed his cheek.

"That's my guy."

_TBC...

* * *

_

**_Boone_**


	7. Sonograms and Late Night Cravings

The next day at the doctor's office, Dr. Morganstern noticed a change in the interaction between Susan and Mike. Susan leaned toward Mike as he kept his arm around her, and both of them had smiles on their faces. While the doctor had originally had her eye on Mike, it was obvious to her that he and Susan had worked out whatever problems had been between them.

"Well, Susan, Mike," she said, smiling at the two. "It's time for your first sonogram." Susan's eyes widened, and Mike smiled.

"I completely forgot about that," Susan said, turning red.

"Yep, standard 2-month procedure," Dr. Morganstern laughed. "I'm just going to get you set up here."

"Ok, I know how it works," Susan replied. "This is one of the best parts of being pregnant," she added to Mike. "Getting to see your baby for the first time."

"I believe it," he replied.

"So, Susan, how's the morning sickness been?" the doctor asked as she rubbed gel on Susan's stomach.

"Oh, it's been pretty steady every night for the past two weeks," Susan sighed, exchanging a look with Mike. "This morning was pretty bad."

"Yes, that's to be expected. But yours got started pretty late, hopefully you'll only have to endure it a few weeks more."

"That's what we're hoping. Mike hasn't gotten a decent night's sleep in days," Susan said apologetically.

"It's worth it," Mike replied, squeezing Susan's hand.

"You're lucky to have him, Susan. When I had morning sickness, my ex-husband would just roll over in bed and leave me to stumble to the bathroom," the doctor muttered, smirking.

"Oh yes, my ex-husband was the same way when I was pregnant with Julie. I could have passed out on the toilet and he'd never know," Susan replied darkly.

"Some men are just insensitive," Dr. Morganstern added, and Susan nodded. "Well, here we go, guys, are you ready?" Susan and Mike both nodded as Mike leaned over to have a better view of the screen. Dr. Morganstern turned on the machine, and a few moments later they were able to see a fuzzy outline of the small baby.

"Do you see that?" Susan whispered to Mike excitedly.

"I do," he confirmed, grinning from ear to ear. "That's incredible," he continued, and gently kissed Susan's forehead. Susan smiled and kissed his cheek in return.

"I love that little heartbeat," Susan sighed. Dr. Morganstern smiled at the couple.

"I'm going to leave you two alone for a moment while I go get the prints," she said, quietly backing out the door. Susan and Mike just stared at the machine.

"I think it's finally hitting me," Susan admitted. "We're really having a baby."

"We are," Mike agreed.

"I hope I'm not too old for this."

"No way. If you're too old, then I'm too old."

"Keep in mind, Mike, that I'm the one that has to deliver this baby," Susan laughed. "Whether you're too old is irrelevant. You just have to stand there and let me break all the bones in your hand while I push this baby out."

"Looking forward to it," Mike replied sincerely. "I'm looking forward to everything about this. Diaper change, 3 am feedings, everything." Susan stared at Mike in disbelief and admiration.

"Dr. Morganstern is right. I am lucky to have you."

"No, I'm the lucky one. I'm lucky you took me back after I screwed things up so badly," Mike sighed.

"Don't worry about it anymore, it's in the past." Mike smiled at Susan gratefully and kissed her softly as Dr. Morganstern was coming back in.

"Everything is completely normal, guys. Here are your prints," she said, handing Mike a small envelope. "I just wanted to give you these sheets on dieting and all that fun stuff," she added.

"Ah yes, my favorite part. A nice booklet telling me everything I can't eat or drink," Susan joked. "I tried to get wine out of this guy, but he said no," she pouted, smacking Mike lightly.

"Smart man," the doctor replied, shaking her head and grinning. "I have another patient waiting on me, though, so I'm going to go. Just make an appointment for four weeks from now, and you're good."

"Ok, thank you, Dr. Morganstern," Mike replied as she left. Susan got off the bed and got dressed quickly, then turned to Mike.

"Come on, we have to go put the pictures on the refrigerator like normal people," she said, grabbing his hand and pulling him out of the room.

"That's normal?" Mike laughed, following her.

* * *

A few weeks later, Susan woke up one night, her stomach growling.

"Hey, Mike," she said, rolling over and gently prodding Mike awake. "Mike!"

"What?" he groggily replied, opening his eyes.

"You know what I really want right now?" she asked, smiling sweetly. Mike, getting the wrong impression, slid closer to her and wrapped an arm around her, kissing her neck.

"I think I do know," he replied, moving lower, but Susan rolled her eyes and pushed him away gently.

"No, not that," she said, laughing as Mike's face fell. He groaned and rolled off of her, sighing.

"What do you want?"

"Mint chocolate chip ice cream."

"You're kidding."

"No, I'm not."

"We don't have mint chocolate chip ice cream," Mike said pointedly, his fate sealed.

"I know. I was hoping you'd go get me some," Susan pleaded.

"No."

"Mike, please? I'm hungry."

"Susan-"

"Please?" she pouted, and Mike sighed.

"So you're telling me that tonight, the first night in weeks we haven't been sitting up all night in the bathroom, you want me to go to the store at 2:30 in the morning and buy you ice cream? Is that what you're seriously telling me?"

"Yes…" Susan said hopefully. "Please, Mike? Please? I'll let you have some."

"I don't want any damn ice cream," Mike grumbled.

"Please?"

"Fine," Mike sighed, sitting up to grab his shirt. Susan clapped her hands gleefully.

"Aw, thank you, baby," she said, running her hand soothingly down his back.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. I don't know why I'm actually doing this," he grumbled again, pulling his pants on over his boxers.

"Because you love me?" Susan asked, winking.

"I must," he sighed. "Do you want anything else?"

"Well-"

"Please don't say pickles."

"No, but can you get me pretzels too?"

"Yes," Mike replied. "I'll be right back."

"Ok," Susan replied, then felt it was best to thank him again. "Thanks, babe!" she called as he headed downstairs. She giggled when she heard him mutter something incoherently in reply.

When Mike returned half an hour later, Susan was sitting up in bed, waiting for him. He sleepily trudged into the bedroom, carrying a bowl of ice cream and a bag of pretzels. Susan eagerly grabbed both and proceeded to dip the pretzels into the ice cream, devouring them.

"That's disgusting," Mike observed, making a face.

"No, it's the best," Susan corrected him, shoveling more into her mouth. "Do you have any idea how much I love you right now?"

"Hopefully enough to let me get some sleep, I have an appointment in the morning."

"Don't you want some?" Susan asked, holding her spoon out to Mike as he lay down.

"Get that stuff away from me," he muttered, closing his eyes, then let out a surprised yelp when the ice cream dripped onto his neck.

"Oops," Susan giggled as Mike glared at her.

"Damnit, Susan, did you have to do that?" he asked, reaching to wipe the ice cream off, but Susan stopped him, grabbing his hand.

"No, let me get it," she whispered in his ear, gently sucking the ice cream off his neck. Mike shuddered as she moved her lips up to his earlobe.

"Screw sleep," he growled, taking the bowl from Susan's hands and dropping it on the floor. He rolled on top of Susan, his lips covering hers as she ran her fingers through his hair.

Some time later, Susan lay in Mike's arms, smiling softly as she watched him sleep. She gently brushed his disheveled hair off his forehead and snuggled closer to him, and his arms instinctively tightened around her. He had finally told her he had to get some sleep, and she had reluctantly obliged. She sighed as she thought about how much she loved him, despite everything he had put her through, despite how he had made her cry. In her heart she believed he was no longer keeping things from her, that he had stopped whatever he had been investigating. As she peacefully drifted off to sleep, she had no way of knowing that she was very, very wrong.

_TBC...

* * *

_

**_Boone_**


	8. An Ultimatum

A/N: Obviously, this is going to be a bit A/U now, since on the show things have taken a different turn. Hope you like it anyway!

* * *

Mike had been sitting in his truck, watching the same house for the last 15 minutes. He had watched a woman pile her kids into a minivan, and he had watched a man climb into his own car and drive away. After waiting for five more minutes, he finally decided it would be safe to enter. Grabbing his screw driver to open the lock on the door, he quietly slipped out of the truck and crept around the back of the house. Carefully sliding the head of the screw driver into the lock, he expertly maneuvered it until he heard a click, and the knob turned in his hand.

Still unsure that the house was empty, Mike paused for a moment, waiting for any sign of someone in the house. He was satisfied when all he heard was silence. Glancing around, he noticed a door ajar that revealed an office, and he quickly decided the best place to begin looking for anything suspicious would be there. He placed the screw driver in his back pocket and quietly walked into the office, headed for the desk. Sitting in the desk chair, he pulled open the first drawer and sorted through it's contents, sighing when he found nothing suspicious. He did the same with each of the drawers in the desk, as well as the shelves that lined the walls.

"Damnit," Mike whispered to himself as he realized there was nothing there. He leaned against the wall briefly, then determinedly walked back into the hallway and into the dining room. He hurriedly searched through the compartments of the large cabinet, but found nothing. Amongst his perusing of the cabinets contents, Mike never heard the quiet footsteps of the man behind him, nor did he sense any sign of warning until he felt something slam into the side of his head, knocking him to the ground.

"I don't know who you are, or what you're doing here, but I'm calling the cops," said a voice above him.

Mike's vision blurred as he heard his attacker drop his weapon and hurry away, most likely to call the police. Knowing he had little time, Mike quickly stood up, wincing as he felt the cut on the side of his head, and glanced around to find his closest exit. Deciding the back door was his best chance, he crept down the hall, but glanced back and spotted a golf club lying on the floor. Wincing again as his head throbbed, he slipped out the back door and ran as quickly as he could back to his truck.

Shifting the truck in drive, Mike attempted to appear calm as he pulled away from the curb, then accelerated slightly as the drove down the street. He prayed whoever had hit him had not seen his face, nor returned in time to witness his escape. He drove quickly back toward his house, but slowed down as his head spun. He realized he should not be driving as he felt himself beginning to drift out of consciousness. He pulled his truck over to the side of the road and put it in park, then gently ran his fingers over his head. For a moment he was nauseous as he felt the large lump that was forming, then his eyes rolled back in his head as he finally lost consciousness, slumping against the steering wheel.

* * *

"I can't believe you sent him out at 2:30 in the morning for ice cream," Bree said to Susan she dealt cards. She, Susan, Lynette, and Gabby had gathered for their weekly poker game, and Susan had just told them the story of her late night craving.

"What? I was hungry," Susan said meekly, blushing.

"Yes, but in the middle of the night? Poor Mike," Gabby said, chuckling.

"I say nice going, Susan," Lynette added, laughing as well. "The man got you pregnant, the least he can do is cater to your every whim." Susan laughed, nudging Lynette playfully with her elbow.

"I know," she said. "I can't help it, though. My morning sickness is finally over, so I have an appetite again. But I do feel bad, especially since he stayed up with me every single night when I was sick," she added, frowning guiltily.

"Yeah, I have to admit, that was sweet of him," Lynette grumbled.

"It was _amazing_ of him," Susan sighed.

"Tom always said I handled morning sickness so well, I didn't need him."

"Nice," Gabby said, smirking.

"Yeah, I always made sure I 'accidentally' woke him up each time I dragged myself back to bed." Lynette replied, smirking as well.

"Rex was always pretty good with the morning sickness," Bree contributed, smiling fondly.

"How wonderful for you." All four of the women laughed.

"Hey, where is Mike?" Gabby asked, sipping her juice and frowning. All of the women had promised they would not drink coffee or wine in front of Susan, and Gabby personally hated it.

"He had an appointment today, I think he'll be back for dinner," Susan explained.

"Does he ever go home?" Bree laughed, looking at Susan. "I swear, he is always at your house."

"Yeah, he's pretty much there all the time," Susan said thoughtfully.

"Why doesn't he just move in?"

"Hm…we've never discussed it. It's just been a given that he stays. I wonder if he'd want to move in."

"You know he'd love it," Lynette said.

"I'd love it too," Susan said, smiling. "But is it too soon?" The other three women gaped at her.

"Honey, you're having a baby together. It's not too soon," Gabby chuckled, patting Susan's hand. Susan blushed and looked down at the table.

"I should talk to him about it," she said as her cell phone started ringing. "Oh, hang on," she said, flipping open the phone and raising it to her ear. "Hello?"

"Is this Susan Mayer?" came the voice on the other end of the line.

"Yes this is, can I help you?"

"This is Brad Lowen from Mercy Hospital, I'm calling about Mike Delfino."

"Mike? Is something wrong with him?" Susan asked, her voice breaking slightly as Gabby, Bree, and Lynette looked up at her, concerned.

"What is your relationship to Mr. Delfino?"

"I'm his girlfriend. What's happened to him?"

"He's suffered a head injury, but he says he doesn't remember how," Lowen said. "He was found in his truck parked on the side of a street, unconscious."

"Oh my God," Susan said, her voice shaking. Bree placed her hand on her shoulder comfortingly, and Susan grasped it gratefully.

"He's conscious now, which is good since he has a concussion. He's been asking for you."

"Oh my God," Susan said again. "I'll be right there."

"He's in room 218, just inform the nurse at the desk when you arrive," Lowen said.

"I will," Susan replied before snapping her phone closed, then she put her head in her hands. The other three women glanced at each other worriedly.

"What happened, Susan?" Bree asked.

"It's Mike. Something about a head injury, they found him in his truck, and oh my God, I have to go," Susan stuttered, standing up quickly as her eyes started to tear.

"Do you need one of us to take you?" Lynette asked, standing up as well.

"No, guys, but thanks, I just…I have to go," Susan replied, grabbing her bag and heading for the door.

"Drive safely, then, Susan," Bree called as the women followed her to the door.

"And call us when you find out what happened," Gabby added, pulling a distraught Susan into a hug. Bree and Lynette also hugged Susan briefly.

"Thanks, I will," Susan said before she slipped out the door and dashed across the street to her car. She climbed into it and wiped her eyes before carefully backing down her driveway and tearing down the street.

* * *

"Unbelievable," Susan said, shaking her head as she glared at Mike, who was laying in a hospital bed, a bandage wrapped around this head. "Truly unbelievable. I cannot believe you."

"Ok, I get it, you can't believe me," Mike growled. He was not in a very good mood. He knew he couldn't afford to keep making these mistakes, or he'd never find out the truth about Deirdre.

"Now is not the time for you to be a jackass," Susan snapped. "You were searching through someone's _house_? What on earth happened?"

"Nothing," Mike sighed, but changed his mind when he saw Susan's face. "I was just searching for something in the house, and I wasn't alone. Guy came up and hit me in the head with a golf club. I'm fine, though a golf club hurts more than you'd think it would."

"You're fine," Susan laughed flatly. "Yeah, I can see that. Lying in the hospital with a concussion, and you're fine."

"Look, Susan," Mike sighed, but she cut him off.

"How did you not get arrested?"

"I told you, I got out when the guy was calling the cops, then drove away," Mike sighed.

"This has to stop." "What has to stop?" Mike asked, confused.

"This. You cannot keep investigating people like this, it's illegal. How many houses are you going to break into before someone manages to do some real damage to you? How many houses before you get killed?" Susan asked, her eyes tearing.

"You cannot tell me to stop. I need to do this, you don't understand."

"Don't tell me what I don't understand!" Susan shouted angrily. "You _need_ to be here for your child. Though that doesn't seem as important to you as this does."

"It is, Susan. It's more important to me than anything. _You_ are more important to me than anything. This is just something I have to do. I'm not going anywhere," Mike said softly.

"So this is how it's going to be? You breaking into people's houses, chasing a ghost. Then one day you'll break into the wrong house, and our child will say to me: 'Where's Daddy?' And I'll say, 'I'm sorry, kiddo, Daddy got himself killed searching through dresser drawers!'" Susan ranted, crying now.

"That's not how it will be, Susan. I'll be there, I promise."

"You can't promise me that, don't you _dare_ promise me that while you're out there doing this. And I won't stand by and watch you do it."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"It means you stop this investigation now, and start preparing to be a father, or accept the fact that you won't be a father at all," Susan said softly, but firmly.

"You wouldn't do that," Mike protested nervously.

"Don't think I wouldn't," Susan warned. "I love you, but I will not stand by and watch you kill yourself. I'll walk away, Mike, I swear I will."

"I can't just quit."

"Fine. Just don't expect me to be waiting for you the next time you land yourself in the hospital," Susan said. "Don't expect me to be waiting for you at all." With that, she turned around and walked quickly out of the room. Mike sighed and rested his throbbing head against the pillows as the beginnings of tears gathered at the corners of his eyes.

_TBC...

* * *

_

**_Boone_**


	9. Mike's Decision

A few hours later, Mike was still laying in his bed, thinking. Susan had not come back, but Mike had tried to call her several times, each time she did not pick up. He closed his eyes for a moment, considering his options. When he heard footsteps approach his bed, he sat up, thinking it was Susan. He was not happy to see who his visitor actually was.

"You screwed up again, Mike," NoahTaylor said, frowning at him.

"Looks like it," Mike sighed angrily. "What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to hear your story. How'd you get caught this time?" Noah sneered.

"Didn't realize there was someone in the house," Mike shrugged. At this point, he no longer cared about anything but Susan. He'd had enough of being ridiculed by this man.

"Don't you shrug your shoulders like it's no big deal. You're never going to find out what happened to Deirdre if you keep screwing up."

"I'm not doing this anymore, Noah," Mike sighed, his mind made up.

"What do you mean? Of course you are," Noah protested. "Once you get out of the hospital, you'll move on to the next house, and the next one, until you figure out what happened to my daughter, and-"

"No, I'm not. I'm done. _My_ girlfriend is having _my_ baby, and I want to be there for it. I can't be if something happens to me," Mike growled, gritting his teeth.

"Well, that's nice, Mike, but what about Deirdre? I thought you loved her."

"I did, Noah. I loved your daughter very much, and I want to know what happened to her as badly as you do. But I cannot stand by and watch Susan walk out of my life. I love _her_ too much to let her go."

"So you're doing this because she gave you some sort of ultimatum? You're just going to quit because she told you to?"

"No, I'm going to quit because she _asked_ me to. I'm going to quit because I need to be here. This is my family," Mike said softly. Noah ran his hand over his face.

"How am I supposed to do this without you?" he sighed, resigned.

"You'll find someone else, Noah. Someone who can devote his time to discovering the truth. But that person isn't me anymore."

"I know," Noah said quietly. "I respect you for doing the right thing, Mike. And I really do appreciate everything you've done. My time is just running out."

"You will find out what happened to her, Noah."

"I hope so. But I should get going. I have a lot of work to do, and so do you. Don't let this girl get away, Mike," Noah replied, heading to the door.

"I won't. And Noah?"

"Yes?"

"Thanks."

"No problem. I'll see you around." With that, Noah walked out the door. Mike gave a long sigh and lay back in his bed. He had done what he needed to do, and now he needed to talk to Susan before it was too late.

* * *

"You told him you'd leave him!" Julie asked her mother incredulously.

"What else was I supposed to do?" Susan moaned as she angrily washed dishes in the kitchen. "I can't just watch him get hurt over and over again."

"Mom, Mike loves you. It will kill him if you leave him."

"Yeah, if an angry homeowner doesn't kill him first," Susan laughed flatly. "He has absolutely no regard for what the consequences could be. He doesn't seem to understand that I need him to be here."

"He knows that. But for some reason he feels the need to do this too. He's not going to get himself killed."

"Yeah, he's investigating something that happened to an old girlfriend. That really says a lot about where I'm at on his list of priorities," Susan mumbled.

"You're being ridiculous," Julie argued. "Not to mention unnecessarily jealous."

"It doesn't matter. He needs to make a choice, or I'll make it for him by taking myself out of the equation."

"Mom-" Julie protested, but was interrupted by a knock at the door.

"Would you go tell whoever that is to go away, please?" Susan asked. "I'm in no mood for visitors right now." Julie sighed and went to the door. After a few moments she came back into the kitchen with a weird look on her face. "Did you tell them to leave?" Susan asked.

"Mom, you need to talk to Mike," Julie said quietly.

"No, I've said all I have to say."

"You really should go talk to him," she pressed.

"Why?" Susan asked suspiciously.

"Because you love him, because he loves you, because you don't want to leave him, and because…" Julie trailed off, sighing.

"Yes? Why else?"

"Because he's sitting in the living room!" she announced, turning red.

"He's what?" Susan asked softly.

"He's in the living room. He wants to talk to you," Julie explained.

"He's not supposed to be out of the hospital yet."

"He checked himself out early because you weren't answering his calls."

"Stubborn ass," Susan said, smiling fondly. "Ok, I'll go talk to him. But you make yourself scarce. I don't want you eavesdropping like you always do."

"Ok, Mom, I'll be upstairs," Julie laughed. "You kids behave. No make-up sex on the couch, now," she finished, winking at her mom.

"Julie!" Susan squealed, turning red. Julie just laughed again and headed upstairs. Susan smiled and shook her head, before taking a deep breath and heading into the living room.

* * *

Before Susan went into the living room, she stood in the hallway and just watched Mike for a minute. He was sitting on the couch, his head in his hand, nervously tapping his foot. Susan felt a pang when she saw the large bruise on his head that was now free of the bandage.

"Hey," she said softly as she walked into the room. Mike's head snapped up quickly, and before Susan could say anything else, he stood up, wrapped his arms around her, and kissed her passionately. Susan responded by running her hands through his hair and pulling him closer. When they finally pulled apart, Mike smiled and kissed her forehead.

"Hi," he said, then pulled her down to sit on the couch with him. "We need to talk."

"I know," Susan replied, running her fingers lightly over the bruise on his head. "But you shouldn't have checked yourself out early, Mike."

"I had no other choice. You weren't answering my calls."

"I'm sorry, I was just upset. I shouldn't have given you that ultimatum, that wasn't right of me," she sighed.

"No, you were right to do that. I needed some sense knocked into me. It made me realize what an ass I was being. Here you are, more than 3 months pregnant, and I'm off searching through houses, getting hit in the head with golf clubs. I do need to make sure I'm here. I want to be able to see my kid grow up, and as much as I hate to admit it, I was on a dangerous path. So I quit."

"Mike, I don't want you to feel like I was ordering you to quit, I just worry. I mean, I do want you to quit, but I can't force you."

"No, you're not forcing me. My priorities have changed, namely, you and this baby are first on my list. I already told Noah I'm done," Mike explained, taking Susan's hand.

"Really, when?" she asked, confused. She'd only left the hospital a few hours before.

"When he came to tell me what a screw-up I was," Mike chuckled. "But I just told him I couldn't do it anymore. He actually took it better than I thought he would."

"So it's over?"

"For me it is. I doubt he's going to give up, but whatever happens, it's not my responsibility anymore. I am going to be here for you," Mike promised. Susan smiled happily.

"That's all I want," she said, moving so she was sitting in his lap. "But are you sure you're going to be okay with this?"

"I'll be fine," Mike murmured, nuzzling her neck, and she sighed. "As long as I have you, I'll be fine," he finished, then covered her lips with his again, leaning her back to lay down on the couch as he lay on top of her. Susan kissed him for a few moments before she started giggling. Pulling away, Mike made a face. "What's so funny?"

"Julie told me we couldn't have make-up sex on the couch," she laughed, and Mike chuckled as well.

"Well, what about upstairs?" he suggested.

"No, she's upstairs," Susan replied, frowning. Then their gazes met and they smiled, each thinking the same thing.

"My house?" Mike asked.

"Your house," Susan agreed, and he grabbed her hand and pulled her off the couch. She laughed as he hauled her out the front door and across the street to the privacy of his house.

* * *

"Hey, Mike?" Susan said to Mike some time later as they lay in his bed, her head on his chest.

"Yeah?" he replied as he ran his fingers through her hair.

"I've been thinking."

"What about?"

"Well, I can't help but notice that this is the first time you've spent any time in your own bed, let alone your own house, in about two months," Susan said, lifting her head to look at him.

"Is that some sort of hint?" Mike chuckled. "Too much time together?"

"No, not at all," Susan replied, shaking her head. "I was just thinking."

"Yes, you said that, but I'm still not sure what you've been thinking about."

"I was just thinking that maybe, possibly, it might be easier if you, I mean if you want to…" Susan trailed off, unable to word her question. She wanted Mike to move in with her, but she was afraid he wouldn't want to.

"Susan, just tell me," Mike sighed, taking her chin in his hand and forcing her to look at him.

"Do you want to move in with me?" Susan blurted out, turning red and burying her face in his chest. Mike gaped at her for a second, then started grinning. He gently lifted her head again and pulled her to him, kissing her deeply. When he pulled away, Susan was grinning as well, but she pressed her face into Mike's neck, kissing it softly.

"Hey, look at me," Mike said softly, smiling. Susan lifted her head and smiled back at him. "You want me to move in? Officially?" he asked, brushing her hair away from her face.

"I do," Susan replied, kissing him softly. "More than anything." Mike only smiled wider.

"What about Julie?"

"She'd be fine with it, I mean, you're there all the time anyway, so she's used to it. Julie adores you," Susan replied sincerely, but then grew nervous when Mike didn't reply. "And, you know, it makes sense, really, since you're always there. It's kind of pointless to still be renting your house when you're never there, and-" Mike cut Susan off, kissing her passionately again. When he pulled away a few minutes later, Susan was looking at him hopefully. "Is that a yes?"

"That's a hell yes," Mike answered her, kissing her repeatedly. Susan squealed and wrapped her arms around Mike's neck, pulling him on top of her.

"When do you want to move in?" Susan asked breathily, and Mike laughed as he nuzzled her neck.

"Well, not right this second," he replied, raising his head briefly and winking at her. "Maybe a little later."

"Oh, I get it," Susan giggled, winking back at him. Mike rolled his eyes, then efficiently quieted her by pressing his lips to hers again.

_TBC...

* * *

_

**_Boone_**


	10. It's a

A/N: Sorry it took so long to update, I've been having writer's block lately. It may take a while for the next chapter too, sorry. But maybe we have something to look forward to on the real show! ;)

* * *

One morning a few days later, Mike brought up the subject of moving in again as he and Susan lay on the couch watching TV.

"So…" he began, not entirely sure why he was nervous.

"Yes, Mike?" Susan replied, turning to look at him.

"About this moving in thing…"

"Yes?"

"Well…"

"Mike, what is it? I asked you to move in last week, you seemed excited about it, then you act like you forgot about it. I'm letting you decide when the time is right, so what's up with you?" Susan asked, exasperated.

"Well, have you talked to Julie about it?" Mike asked, sighing.

"No, but I told you, she'll be fine with it."

"I'd feel better if you talked to her first."

"Ok, I'll talk to her," Susan promised, then smiled when she heard the front door open.

"Mom, I'm home!" Julie called as she dropped her book bag next to the door.

"Speak of the devil," Susan said. "Julie, come in here for a second, please?" she called.

"Ok, hang on!" Julie replied, heading into the kitchen for a drink. Mike turned to Susan with a panicked look on his face.

"Now? You're asking her now?" he sputtered, turning red.

"Yeah, is there a problem?" Susan replied, smirking as she sensed his nervousness.

"No, no. I'll just leave you to it," he said, getting up and heading for the door.

"Where do you think you're going?"

"I, uh, I've got a thing," he stammered.

"A thing? I don't think so. You wanted me to ask her, you stay," Susan laughed, beckoning him back into the room. Mike sighed nervously and returned to his seat on the couch just as Julie came into the living room.

"What's up, Mom?" she asked, looking from her mother to Mike. "Is Mike ok? He looks a little sick," she said, peering more closely at Mike, who was staring at the floor.

"Mike's fine," Susan replied, smirking and nudging Mike with her elbow. "We actually have something really important to ask you."

"Oh, ok, what is it?"

"Well, you know Mike's been staying here every night lately, and well, we thought it'd be more convenient for him if he just…" Susan trailed off, suddenly nervous herself. It was Mike's turn to smirk at her. She had been fine with it before, but she just realized that a man had not actually lived in their house for a very long time. Once again Julie looked between Susan and Mike, and deduced what her mother was trying to say.

"If he moved in?" she finished for Susan, who visibly relaxed, while Mike returned his gaze to the floor.

"Yes, if he moved in," Susan confirmed, looking at her daughter, who was silent. "Julie?"

"You know, Julie, if you're not comfortable with this-" Mike began, but Julie cut him off.

"Finally!" Julie said, laughing. "I've been wondering when you two would make it official."

"So you're ok with it?" Susan asked hopefully, and Mike continued to look on nervously.

"Of course," Julie chuckled. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"Well, I just wasn't sure if you'd want someone who wasn't your dad living here."

"Oh, Mom, that doesn't bother me. Mike treats you better than Dad ever did. Honestly, it's great," Julie continued. "What did you think, I'd expect you and Mike to live in separate houses once the baby was born?"

"Well, no," Susan said, blushing. "We just wanted to check."

"It's cool with me," Julie confirmed, and Mike finally smiled. "I've got homework to do, though, so I'm going to head upstairs. Oh, and Mike?" Julie continued, heading for the stairs.

"Yeah?"

"Welcome to the family," she replied, winking. "You're stuck with us now." Julie grinned, then headed up to her room, dragging her book bag behind her. Still sitting on the couch, Susan turned to Mike, who closed his eyes and flopped over, his head in her lap.

"Well, was that so bad?" Susan asked, chuckling and running her fingers through his hair.

"It could've been," Mike replied, and Susan laughed.

* * *

That Friday, Mike began the process of moving his stuff into Susan's house. He would not allow Susan to lift one finger to help him, and enlisted Tom's and Rex's help in transporting his things across the street. The men were in the process of carrying a load of boxes across the street when Mike noticed Karl had arrived to pick up Julie for the weekend. As he approached the door, where Karl was waiting to be let into the house, Mike could not resist exaggerating his actions. Turning to Rex and Tom behind him and smirking, Mike nudged past Karl.

"Excuse me, Karl, coming through," he said politely, though hardly containing his grin. "Heavy box." He then proceeded to open the front door, and Tom and Rex also pushed past Karl. "Oh, come on in, Karl, Julie's almost ready," Mike called over his shoulder. He winked at a confused Susan as she entered the hallway from the living room. When she spotted a confused Karl and a smug Mike, she smirked and rolled her eyes. Mike just grinned and led the other two men up the stairs to Susan's room.

"What's going on?" Karl stammered, looking up the stairs after Mike. Susan decided she was going to help Mike rub this in Karl's face.

"Oh, he's moving in," she said nonchalantly. "Julie, you're dad is here!" she called up the stairs. A muffled shout signaled to her that Julie had heard. Karl still stood there, looking confused.

"Mike is moving in? The plumber?"

"No, Karl, Tom is. He's left Lynette and is moving in here, Mike's just helping him out. Yes, Karl, of course Mike is moving in," Susan sneered, and Karl glared up the stairs.

"Why the hell is he moving in?"

"Because he and I are having a baby, Karl." Karl's scowl darkened as both Mike and Julie descended the stairs. Mike noticed Karl's anger and addressed him.

"Is there a problem here?" he asked, dropping Julie's bag at his feet.

"Yeah, there is," Karl replied. "I have a problem with you moving in here."

"Well that's too damn bad," Mike growled. "You have no say in it."

"I beg to differ. What right to do you have to move in. Julie doesn't need another father."

"Karl!" Susan shouted, turning red.

"Listen, Karl," Mike began, taking a step towards him menacingly. "I'm not trying to be Julie's father."

"The hell you're not!" Karl argued.

"Dad!" Julie finally interrupted, glaring at her father. "You have absolutely no right to yell at Mike. He is the father of Mom's baby, and he has a right to be here." Karl stared at Julie for a few seconds, then frowned and picked up her bag.

"Fine. Do whatever you want. Let's go, Julie," he said, stalking out the front door. Julie turned apologetically to her mother and gave her a hug.

"I'll talk to him, Mom," she said, heading to the door.

"Good luck trying," Susan replied darkly. "I honestly don't care if he accepts it or not."

"Have a good weekend, Julie," Mike said, giving Julie a tense smile, which she returned.

"Thanks, Mike. Bye, Mom, I love you," she called, heading to Karl's car.

"I love you, too," Susan replied before she shut the front door and sighed. "Well that was fun," she commented sarcastically to Mike.

"I don't know what you're talking about, that _was_ fun," he replied, chuckling.

"Mature, Mike. Real mature."

* * *

A few weeks later, Mike and Susan were sitting in Dr. Morganstern's office for their 20-week sonogram. Both of them were nervous because this sonogram would tell them whether they were having a boy or a girl. The doctor had prepared Susan for the sonogram, but was then summoned to care for another patient, leaving Mike and Susan anxious.

"What would you rather have, a boy or a girl?" Susan asked Mike, turning to watch him nervously tap his foot.

"It doesn't matter to me," he replied, smiling softly. "I've just always wanted kids, period."

"Oh, come on, Mike. Don't you want a boy?"

"Well, of course as a guy, I've always had a fantasy of having a son, but I've also had a fantasy of having a daughter, too. It really doesn't matter to me, I'll be happy either way," Mike explained sincerely.

"Yeah," Susan murmured.

"Besides, if we have a girl this time, we can try for a boy later," Mike suggested, watching Susan out of the corner of his eye as she visibly tensed.

"You shut your mouth right now," she said, chuckling. "I'm done after this."

"If you say so."

"Oh, I say so," she said firmly, and Mike laughed.

"What would you rather have?" he asked her, and she paused thoughtfully.

"Well, I already have a daughter, so part of me wants a boy," she said. "But then again I really loved raising a girl the first time," she added. "It doesn't matter to me either." Mike smiled and nodded, then turned towards the door when Dr. Morganstern walked back in.

"Sorry about that, guys," she said as she approached them. "Are you ready for your sonogram?"

"As we'll ever be," Susan answered, turning to Mike and grasping his hand.

"Nervous?"

"You could say that," Mike replied, chuckling.

"Well, get ready, because here we go," the doctor said, switching on the machine. After a few moments, the image appeared on the screen and all three of them studied it carefully. "Well, Mike, Susan, right now this is a pretty clear indication that you are going to have a boy." Susan watched Mike as his eyes lit up and a grin spread across his face. Smiling happily, she leaned in and kissed his cheek.

"That's amazing," he said as too turned and kissed her cheek.

"It is," Susan replied as she watched the image. "How sure are you that it's a boy?" she asked Dr. Morganstern.

"Right now, about 95 sure," she replied, and Mike's grin grew.

"Are you sure you didn't have a preference?" Susan asked playfully.

"No, I swear. This is just very cool," Mike replied, smiling.

"It is," Susan agreed. "We're having a boy."

_TBC..._

_

* * *

**Boone**_


	11. Worried a Little Too Late

* * *

A/N: Sorry this update took so long, like I said, I've been having a bit of writer's block. I'm trying to find a way to end it pretty quick here, so any ideas are appreciated. I also appreciate the reviews I've been getting for 'Everything to Lose,' and I'm working on an update for that, too. Thanks again!

* * *

"Mike! Mike, wake up," Susan whispered in Mike's ear one morning. When he didn't stir, she gently nudged him, but still received no response. Rolling her eyes, Susan resorted to her final tactic, leaning over Mike and softly kissing his neck.

"Ok, you have my attention," Mike finally groaned, his eyes still closed.

"Finally," Susan sighed.

"What is it?" Mike asked, rubbing his face tiredly and glancing at the clock. "Susan, it's only 7:00 in the morning."

"I know, but Mike, I want to go shopping."

"So go. Have fun, I'm going back to sleep now," he muttered, rolling over and closing his eyes again. Susan glared at his back and shoved him.

"No, I want to go shopping for the baby. We need to buy a lot of stuff."

"Oh, well, that's different."

"So you'll go shopping for the baby, but you wouldn't go shopping for me? Nice," Susan muttered, smirking.

"Susan, you shop for hours. However, this involves my son. My son. Wow, those are words that will never get old to me," Mike sighed, grinning. Susan grinned back at him and kissed his cheek.

"You're cute. But really, we should have gone shopping weeks ago."

"That's what I told you, but you wanted to wait until the 6-month sonogram to be sure."

"Just trying to be practical. They said Julie was a boy at first," Susan admitted, making a face, and Mike laughed, then wrapped his arm around her.

"Ok, let's go shopping," Mike said, then glanced at the clock again. "In about two hours. Stores aren't open yet," he chuckled, kissing her forehead.

"Fine," Susan pouted, resting her head on Mike's chest.

"Just go back to sleep."

"Mm, no, can't. I'm going to get a shower," Susan replied, jumping up and heading for the bathroom.

"You're nuts," Mike laughed.

"You know, you can join me if you don't mind my big stomach," Susan suggested, popping her head back in the door and winking at Mike, who grinned.

"It's not that big."

"Have you seen it lately?"

"Yes, but I guess you'll have to show me again," Mike laughed, joining Susan in the bathroom.

* * *

"Oh, Mike, look at this, you'll love it," Susan said, pointing to a crib set. They had already bought a crib, changing table, and dresser for the nursery, and were now looking at accessories. Mike smirked when he saw the crib set. It was a darker shade of blue with white stars and little footballs on it.

"I do like that," he said, glancing at Susan. "But do you?"

"It's not bad," Susan replied slowly.

"Meaning no," Mike chuckled. "That's ok, look at this one," he gestured to a different crib set, which had simple stripes of light green and blue.

"Oh, I do like that one, it's more subtle. And it will go well with the blue walls. What do you think?"

"I think we're about to get help on the issue," Mike replied, rolling his eyes and gesturing to the saleslady approaching them. Susan groaned.

"Yay," she deadpanned.

"Hi there," the saleslady said cheerfully. "My name is Joyce. Do you need help with anything?"

"No, thanks, we're fine," Mike answered, placing one of the blue and green crib sets in the cart.

"First time parents?" Joyce asked, a smile still plastered on her face.

"He is, I'm not. I have a 14-year-old," Susan replied, subtlety trying to move past the annoying woman and catch up with Mike, who had already made his way down the aisle.

"Well, if you need anything, just let me know," Joyce finished, still smiling.

"Ok, we will," Susan replied. She hurried down the aisle and finally linked her arm with Mike's, sighing. "I hate it when they ambush you," she muttered, leaning her head on his shoulder.

"Yep, that's why I got away," Mike laughed, running his hand up and down her back.

"Yeah, you left me there alone to deal with her. Mean."

"I know, I know. I'm awful. Come on, Mom, lots more to buy," Mike replied, leading her towards another section.

"Coming, Dad."

* * *

"SURPRISE!" Susan Mayer jumped when she opened her front door and was greeted with the shout of some of her closest friends. Looking around, Susan saw her living room was decorated with baby blue balloons and crepe paper, and gifts were piled on her kitchen table. A large banner reading 'It's a Boy' hung in the hallway.

"What's going on, guys?" Susan asked, turning to Bree, Lynette, and Gabby, who were in the middle of the group of women.

"It's your baby shower, Susan!" Bree said exasperatedly. "We thought you would've guessed that."

"You didn't think we'd neglect to give you a party, did you?" Lynette asked as Susan moved around the room, hugging all of her friends.

"Julie helped us with the decorating," Gabby said, smiling at Susan's daughter, who went to give her mother a hug.

"That's so sweet. Thank you, guys," Susan replied.

"Hey, Susie!" came a call from behind a couple of women. Susan smiled when her mother approached her. "Congratulations!"

"Thanks, Mom."

"Congratulations, Susan," Edie Britt said, giving Susan an awkward one armed hug, and Susan looked at her suspiciously.

"Edie? What are you doing here?"

"Can't I congratulate my friend on her pregnancy?" Edie asked, rolling her eyes.

"Oh," Susan replied, startled. "Well, thanks, Edie, I appreciate it."

"So where's Mike, anyway?" Edie asked, glancing around.

"Oh, please, Edie, it's a baby shower, no men allowed," Bree answered her, shaking her head.

"Yes, and try to be a little bit more subtle as you crane your neck to find _my_ boyfriend," Susan added, rolling her eyes, and Edie just shrugged.

"I was just curious," she muttered. Susan chuckled and shook her head, walking to the table where food had been set up. Julie joined Susan at the table, putting her arm around her.

"Hey, Mom," she said, grabbing a sandwich.

"Hi, Sweetie," Susan replied. "This party is great."

"Yeah, we've been planning it for weeks. Even Mike helped."

"Really? What did he do?"

"Got you out of the house," Julie chuckled.

"Oh, so that's why he sent me out shopping. He normally doesn't encourage it," Susan mumbled thoughtfully, and Julie laughed, heading over to where Danielle Van De Kamp was sitting.

"So how are you, Susan?" Edie asked, coming over to stand next to Susan.

"I'm great, Edie, and you?"

"I'm good, thanks. And how is Mike?"

"He's fine. He's excited, I think. He acted just like a little kid when we bought a little glove and baseball for the baby. He can't wait to teach his son to play sports," Susan replied, smiling softly.

"So he's not getting nervous, then?"

"No, what do you mean?" Susan asked, frowning.

"Well, it's just…you two have been moving so fast, what with having a baby and moving in together and everything…" Edie commented, trailing off.

"Um, well, the pregnancy wasn't planned, but the moving in thing was the next logical step," Susan replied, growing uneasy. She didn't like where Edie was headed with this conversation.

"I'm not trying to be judgmental," Edie continued, and Susan rolled her eyes skeptically. "But you and Mike weren't even together a few months ago, and now, you're so _very _together, I guess I would just worry that Mike would begin to feel trapped or something," Edie said. Susan felt herself begin to panic, as much as she wanted to ignore Edie's words. "Oh, don't listen to me," Edie added, patting Susan's back. "Look, there's cake!"

"Susan, come on!" Gabby called. "You get the first piece, and then you need to open gifts!"

"What?" Susan replied, startled, and Edie smirked.

"Come on, honey," Bree said, leading Susan over to the cake as Susan continued to torture herself with the thoughts Edie had planted in her head.

* * *

"Hey, Mike?" Susan asked that night after the baby shower as she and Mike sat on the couch, watching TV.

"Yeah?" Mike absentmindedly replied as he kept his gaze on the TV and ran his fingers through her hair.

"Did we move to fast?"

"What?"

"I mean, did all of this happen too quickly? The baby and living together and everything?" Susan asked nervously as she searched Mike's eyes for a reaction.

"Susan, what's wrong?" Mike asked, growing concerned at Susan's behavior.

"It's just…we weren't moving this quickly before, and we didn't plan on having a baby, and-"

"Where is this coming from?"

"Are you nervous? About the baby?"

"Not really," Mike replied. "I mean, sure, I'm a little be nervous about being a father, but that's natural. I'm mostly excited."

"So you don't feel trapped here with me?" Susan asked, looking down.

"Again, where are you getting this?"

"It's just that Edie said-"

"Hold on, Edie said something? That right there should tell you it's not worth getting upset over," Mike interrupted, chuckling.

"It's not funny," Susan protested, glaring. "In all reality, we were only together a few months before we broke up, and it's only been a few months since. I never stopped to think that this might not be right," she added her eyes tearing.

"Hey, look at me," Mike said, lifting Susan's chin so she looked him in the eyes. "I love you. This is right, I promise you that. I can't remember a time when I've been happier." Susan smiled softly and buried her face in Mike's neck. "Besides," Mike continued, kissing the top of Susan's head. "Your worries are coming a little bit too late. The baby is almost here."

"True," Susan replied, blushing. "I just, you know, I've never really had things go my way."

"That's changed," Mike said softly, pulling her closer.

"It has," Susan agreed, laying her head on Mike's chest, and he kissed the top of it again.

"I still can't believe you were worried about something Edie said," Mike muttered, smirking.

"Oh, shut up and watch TV," Susan retorted, grinning and snuggling closer.

_TBC...

* * *

_


End file.
